Setting SMART Rocks for Your Elevator Business

Rocks are the key to taking your business to the next level. They represent your most important business goals. Big Rocks are the top priorities you aim to accomplish in the next quarter. This concept comes from Stephen Covey’s BIG Rock theory, which emphasizes focusing on the most critical tasks. By setting SMART Rocks, you can align your team and drive business growth. 

Defining Rocks

Imagine you have a jar with various-sized rocks, pebbles, and sand. To fit everything in, you must start with the big rocks. In business, this means focusing on your most important tasks first. By tackling these big rocks first, you ensure progress on what matters most. 

The key is to prioritize big rocks. Once they’re in place, you can add pebbles and sand. This approach helps you avoid getting bogged down by less important tasks and keeps your business thriving. 

Why Rocks Matter in Growth Strategies 

1. Laser-focused employees: Goal-setting and tracking help employees prioritize — if in doubt, follow the Rocks. 
2. Greater accountability: Assigning each employee a goal to own gives them instant accountability. There’s no hiding from responsibility when your name’s on it. 
3. Clarity: Well-documented goals give your employees a clear north star. What’s the next step? What’s the priority? Should I do this or that? Circle them back to their Rocks for the answer and let them be their guide. 
4. Problem-solving: With the right Rocks in place, running isn’t an option. Instead, you’ve got to identify the issues and work through them. 
5. Results: With a more focused and accountable team, one that is supported by a documented process, your productivity is set to soar (and so is your revenue). 

Setting SMART Rocks 

Study shows that you’re more likely to achieve your goals if you write them down, share them, and provide regular updates on them. So if generating more revenue is even a tiny part of your business plan, you better get to work identifying, documenting, and scaling goal-setting processes across your organization.

Setting SMART Rocks mean keeping it: 

• Specific: Keep them short and to the point, with no room for confusion. 
• Measurable: If you can explain what it means when something is ‘done,’ it’s measurable. 
• Attainable: Ambitious but achievable. 
• Realistic: Don’t overestimate/underestimate your skill, time, or resources. 
• Time-bound: Ensure it has a deadline. With Rocks, it’s always 90 days. 

Do Rocks Fail?

When a Rock fails, 99% of the time, it’s because it was not truly SMART. In other words, it couldn’t be measured, defined, or achieved in a specific time frame or it simply wasn’t attainable or relevant. If your Rocks don’t meet the SMART standard, they’re a lot less likely to be successful — but that isn’t the only issue that can make or break your success with Rocks. 

Creating a Perfect Rock 

SMART rocks are powerful tools to gain traction on the corporate vision and move forward. But the fewer, the better. It’s typically recommended to set between 3 and 5 rocks in order to make them achievable. 

The key to setting SMART rocks in a scaling business is to prioritize the activities that will have the most impact on achieving your long-term vision. By aligning your team, setting measurable goals, and regularly reviewing progress, you can ensure that you’re making progress on the things that matter most to your business success. 

• Define your vision: Before setting any goals or priorities, you need to have a clear understanding of your business vision. What do you want to achieve in the long-term? What is your ultimate goal? 

• Identify your top priorities: Based on your vision, identify the top priorities that will help you achieve it. These are your big rocks. Consider what activities, initiatives or projects are most critical to your success. 

• Align your team: Make sure your team understands your vision and agrees with your top priorities. Involve them in the process of setting big rocks, and ensure everyone is on the same page. 

• Make it measurable: For each big rock, set specific and measurable goals that will help you track progress and ensure accountability. Make sure these goals align with your overall business objectives. 

• Assign Ownership: Specific individuals or teams should be responsible for ensuring progress is made and the goals are achieved. 

• Review progress regularly: Review progress against your big rocks regularly, and make adjustments as necessary. Celebrate successes, and learn from failures. 

Solidifying SMART Rocks

Setting SMART Rocks keep you on track to achieving real traction in your business — there’s no limit to what you can achieve. The secret for many is staying consistent with the way you set your Rocks. And part of that consistency is making them convenient for your employees to hold themselves to. Avoid those awkward ‘there’s been a misunderstanding’ conversations by aligning your approach to SMART Rocks with your approach to employee experience and letting one fuel the other. Instead, take the time to check in and make sure your employees understand the importance of each Rock and create a culture where they aren’t afraid to speak up if they have any questions or concerns. After all, you’re not tracking Rocks to get employees in trouble or cause extra work. You’re setting and tracking Rocks because their input is crucial to the success of a business.